02. Municipal Infrastructure Funding

The Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI), announced in the 2007/08 provincial budget, was established to provide municipalities with long-term sustainable funding for capital infrastructure projects up to 2016/17. Over the life of the program, The City of Calgary is to receive $3.2 billion.

The change in the province’s economic situation, resulting from the recession, led the Government of Alberta to reduce its MSI funding commitments to municipalities. From the 2008/09 to the 2011/12 provincial budget cycles, allocations to The City of Calgary have fallen short of the original commitments by $361 million. Given that The City of Calgary’s 10-year infrastructure gap is $7.4 billion, these reductions only add to the uncertainty in funding and make it difficult for The City of Calgary to plan its capital infrastructure needs.

Question: What will you do to create a lasting, long-term, solution to fund municipal infrastructure?